


The First Muggleborn

by TheJackieMo



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-07
Updated: 2016-09-07
Packaged: 2018-08-13 14:36:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 14,777
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7980202
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheJackieMo/pseuds/TheJackieMo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Muggleborn Witches and Wizards haven't been around forever, so who was the first? Join Arabella Atterberry as she discovers the world of magic and what it means to be a witch.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

The First Muggleborn

Chapter 1

A young lady of nearly eleven strode the halls of her family manor. The sky outside was overcast and hardly any sunshine made it past the clouds. With an audible sigh, she dropped herself into a nearby chair, thankful for a moment’s reprieve from her busy schedule.

“Misstress Arabella, you’ve been requested in the kitchens immediately.” She had been discovered by one of the servants. It would seem there would be no rest that day. Trying not to be too irritable, Arabella lifted herself back up and slowly followed the servant to their destination.

When they arrived, she was quickly flooded with questions, many of which she believed she had answered many times before, and all pertaining to the party she was hosting that night. She did her best to answer as many of the questions as possible, but when one servant asked her, for what must have been the tenth time, which china she would like used, her frustration could no longer be contained.

“What don’t you understand! How many times must I tell you to use the gold-trimmed china? Must I fetch it myself?” Without giving herself a moment to feel any remorse, she stormed off to her quarters. The fools could figure out the party on their own!

She eventually found herself sprawled out on her bed, letting her hair get messy as it fell out of its stays. Arabella desperately wanted to undo the ties in her dress, but etiquette told her that she would be suffering borderline suffocation for many more hours that day.

“Mistress! What’re you doing here so early? I do hope the preparations are nearly done.” Arabella turned her head to where the voice was coming from and found Mary, her chambermaid, standing in the doorway, holding a bundle of laundry.

“Hello Mary,” she responded before turning her head back towards the ceiling and closing her eyes. As she did, Mary strode inside and began putting away the clothes in the chest at the foot of the bed. Moment passed before Mary finished and made her way back to the doorway.

“Oh, Miss, did you need help changing to greet your parents?” Arabella’s eyes shot open and she darted into a sitting position.

“What?” She croaked, rather ungracefully.

“Your parents. They’re arriving this afternoon. Has no one told you?” Panic settled into Arabella’s mind as she ran through all of the party preparations she hadn’t completed. She felt a cold sweat run down her neck as the realization hit.

“B-but, they’re not to arrive until next week!”

“No M’lady. A messenger came two days ago with the news.” Mary’s expression changed then, as if remembering something important. “But, I suppose it was addressed to Nigel, so perhaps it was meant to be a surprise.” The servant’s expression betrayed her, clearly indicating that her parent’s arrival was indeed meant to be a surprise.

Springing back to her feet, Arabella raced to the hall, with new motivation to complete the party preparations. She called back to Mary in thanks; If she hadn’t let it slip, Arabella might have been in quite a lot of trouble.

Several hours later found Arabella exhausted, but satisfied with the outcome of her party planning. She watched Mary twist her hair in a fashionable style through her vanity mirror with a small smile. She was confident her parents would be pleased as well. She glanced out the window to estimate the time and deduced that they should be arriving anytime.

“Please let me know the moment they arrive, Mary.”

“Of course Miss.” Just as the servant had finished pinning the last of the young girl’s platinum locks, Nigel, the head butler appeared at her door.

“Begging your pardon, Miss, but a letter appeared at the door just now. It’s addressed to you.” Arabella turned in her seat to face him head on.

“Oh? Who sent it?” Nigel marched forward, extending the envelope towards her. “It looks rather peculiar. From a place called ‘Hogwarts.’”

“That sounds ridiculous,” Arabella muttered as she tore open the seal and began to read. As she did, her face paled and her gaze shot up at the man before her. “What’s the meaning of this?”

“Miss?”

“This-this blasphemy! Claiming I’m a-a-” she lowered her voice to a whisper before finishing. “a witch.” Mary’s eyes widened as she, too, turned to face Nigel, whose face had turned red and a sweat had broken out across his brow.

“I assure you, Miss, I haven’t the faintest idea where the letter came from. It was left at the door, on the step.” Anabella paused a moment to determine whether or not he was being honest and, after deciding he was, exhaled.

“Fine,” she said, attempting a smile and failing. “Burn it. There will be no word of this, not even to my parents. Understood?” Nigel and Mary both nodded in compliance, before she waved them off.

Left to sit at her vanity alone, Anabella watched as the profane document curled in the flames of her fireplace, where Nigel had disposed of it for her to see. Surely, it was meant to be some kind of sick joke. But by whom? None of the staff would dare toss such an accusation at her or her family. Perhaps it was a townsperson who held a vendetta against her for some reason.

Nevermind all that. The letter was gone and no one would ever know about it. Her parents would be home soon and Arabella needed to get to the entrance hall to greet them. Picking up her skirts, she sped out of her room and through the intricate hallways that led to the front door.

“Where’s my Bella?” She heard before the door was even opened. Her father’s booming voice echoing through the thick door. As it opened, she saw his bearded face beaming with eagerness to see his eldest daughter.

“Right here, father!” Arabella couldn’t contain her excitement as she rushed over to him and hopped into his arms. He lifted her small frame easily and danced them both around the entrance hall.

“Have you been good while we’ve been away?” He asked her as they twirled. 

“Of course. Very good,” she giggled.

“And what of you birthday celebration tonight? Is everything tip-top?”

“I’ve hardly slept, making sure everything will be perfect.”

“And what of your dear mother? Have you forgotten her?” The pair stopped their dancing when they heard the new voice enter. Arabella’s mother, Catherine, stood in the doorway, holding the hand of her young brother and carrying her even younger sister.

“Oh forgive us, mother. We were practicing for the ball,” Arabella laughed, as she slid out of her father’s arms and onto the floor.

“I can see that.” She replied, with a small smirk. She gave her daughter a tight hug, which Arabella returned before giving her siblings each a peck on the forehead.

“Hello Chris. Did you have enjoy the continent?” She asked, finally acknowledging her brother. The little blonde boy vigorously nodded his head in reply.

“Christopher here became quite close to the Duke of Toulouse’s daughter. Perhaps something can be arranged in the future?” Although she said this to Arabella, Catherine’s eyes were on her husband, Richard, whom she had been suggesting the idea to several times throughout their visit. He feigned ignorance, though he agreed that it would be a most advantageous match.

“We must visit again, if you find their company so amiable,” her father called out as he began making his way farther into the manor.

Four hours later found the family in the midst of an extravagant ball in Arabella’s honor. The young hostess weaved through the crowd, ensuring everything was going as planned, even though her mother had assured her she would take over. Wanting to prove her worthiness at planning such a large party, however; Arabella continued to do her duties.

“Bella! How good to see you!” The Baron of East Anglia’s daughter, Alexandra, approached, with arms open wide to embrace Arabella. Her parents had never been fond of the girl, but in an effort to keep peace, had invited her family anyway. It was difficult to feign friendship, however, when Alexandra was clutching the guest of honor in a death-like grip, despite not having her embrace returned.

“Alexandra, how good to see you,” Bella greeted the twelve-year-old through gritted teeth.

“Isn’t it? Bella, dear, why haven’t you written me? I was terribly excited to receive your invitation.”

“So sorry. I’ve been busy. So many things to do, you know.”

“Yes, yes. Of course.” The excitable brunette hooked her arm through Arabella’s and began strolling around the perimeter of the dance floor. “So tell me, do you have any news? You must catch me up on anything you’ve neglected to write.”

Bella struggled to find something to add to the conversation but could think of nothing. Shaking her head, Alexandra pouted.

“Well,” Alexandra’s voice dropped to a whisper. “I’ve recently overheard my parents talking about a betrothal for me!” Arabella’s brows raised with mild interest at this declaration. “I’ve no idea who the lucky man will be, but I’m sure he’s handsome.”

“How could you know?” Alexandra pouted once more, seeming to ponder how herself.

“I…I just do. Surely my parents wouldn’t marry me off to a fat old man…would they?” She hesitated again, lost in thought. Bella used this moment to unwind her arm from her companion’s and sneak away.

Having already made sure the party was going smoothly, Arabella wandered off to a quieter hallway. As she sat down in a chair looking out one of the many large windows, she could see that the rain had stopped and the sky had cleared. The moon shone brightly and reflected off of the large pond on the property. 

It had been a long day and Arabella felt her eyelids get heavy. What startled her out of her reverie though, was a loud ‘hoot’ that called out over the muffled noise of the party going on in the ballroom. Not knowing where the noise had come from, her head snapped in every direction, until the sound was heard again, coming from the window.

“What in the world?” Arabella approached the window and pushed it open just enough to see a small owl perched on the ledge outside. “Shoo!”

When the bird merely ruffled its feathers at her, Bella noticed that it had an envelope tied to its leg. Hesitantly, she reached for it and, when the owl made no motion to fly away, untied it from the avian. 

Before even opening the letter, she froze. On the front of the envelope was her own name, along with the sender’s information: Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. She immediately dropped the paper to the floor as if she had been burned, only to pick it back up, in fear someone may see her and suspect something was wrong. 

Hoot!

That blasted bird again! Arabella Turned to glare at it and saw a second owl glide to the perch alongside it. With a morbid curiosity, she approached the window again and pushed it open farther. Nestled on nearly every branch of every tree outside the window were owls. Dozens and dozens of owls of all shapes and sizes.

Arabella stifled a scream and stumbled backwards, falling on her bottom and tripping over her skirts in an attempt to stand back up. Failing to do so, she frantically crawled towards the end of the hall, where she ducked behind a pillar. She heard the blood pumping in her ears and felt her face grow hot. What in the world was going on?

After taking a moment to calm herself, Arabella realized she was still clutching the letter. It had been crumpled in her vice-like grip as she was crawling away, so she attempted to flatten it out on her knee. Still sitting on the floor, she began to read what had been reiterated in the first letter Nigel had brought her.

 

HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY  
Headmaster: Godric Gryffindor  
Dear Miss Arabella Atterberry,  
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.  
Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment. Term begins on September 1.  
Due to your peculiar circumstances, a representative will be visiting you in the coming days to discuss the terms of your acceptance in further detail.  
Yours Sincerely,  
Rowena Ravenclaw  
Deputy Headmistress

 

A second paper contained a very peculiar list of what Arabella could only assume were the books and equipment the letter referenced. Glancing around, she thankfully found that she was still alone in the hall and stood up, using the pillar for balance. Even though only an hour or so had passed since her party began, she darted off to her room, in hopes of disposing of the incriminating letter, and as she rushed through the hallways, she spied owls perched along the outside of the windows, staring at her. 

“My dear, where are you going?” Arabella bumped into her mother as she turned a corner. Panicking, she was at a loss for words. “What is that in your hands? A gift?”

The girl glanced at the envelope she still held in a tight grip and, hoping that her mother would let her pass quickly, nodded her head.

“Lovely, what is it? May I see?” Bella gripped it tighter.

“Um, no. I need to-” A moment passed and she still lacked a plausible explanation. “I’m sorry mother, I need to go.” Before her mother could inquire as to what was the matter, Arabella pushed past her and hurried her pace towards her room.

As soon as she reached her destination, she ran to the fireplace, which was still burning brightly and violently threw the papers in. Not a minute later, she heard a knock at her door.

“Bella, are you alright?” Rather than be upset with her for leaving the party so suddenly and avoiding her in the hall, Catherine wore a look of deep concern for her daughter. Bella sighed, grateful that she managed to get rid of the ‘Hogwarts’ nonsense before her mother appeared.

“Yes, Mother. I’m sorry for worrying you. I just…needed a moment alone. The party…was overwhelming.” Catherine’s face softened into a slight smile.

“Oh, I understand. These are the things you must become accustomed to though, when you’re running your own household.”

“Yes mother; I know. I’ll be down shortly, truly.” Arabella’s mother stroked her check a moment, before turning back around and returning to the party.

After closing the door once more, Bella peered back at the fire, which had consumed the papers completely. 

Hoot!

Her attention snapped to where the sound had come from: her bed. Perched on one of the bedposts was yet another owl. It seemed to be staring at her more intensely than the others.

“Go away!” She shouted at it with great effect. The bird rushed out the window, which crashed shut so quickly afterward that several of the window panes cracked.

As Arabella paced the room in an attempt to calm her nerves once more, she gave no thought to the self-closing window…


	2. Chapter 2

The First Muggleborn

Chapter 2

The next few days went by without any more strangeness and Arabella carried on with her usual responsibilities around the manor. Her mother had just started giving her more complex weaving to complete and it took up most of the young girl’s time making sure it was done correctly.

“Blast!” She nearly shouted as she mucked up another row. Frustrated, Bella tried again. “Why won’t you just- UGH!” Dropping the threads, she fumed. But, just as she was about to stand and walk away in defeat for the day, she saw them rise and being to work their way through the loom on their own. Arabella stared in shock at what was happening before her eyes, and even closed and rubbed them, in hopes it was a trick of the light. But no, for the next several minutes, Bella watched in amazement.

“Bella, dear, how is your pattern coming along?” The girl heard her mother call from down the hall, her voice getting closer. Panicked, she rushed back to the loom and grabbed the strings, forcing them to stop their movement. “Bella?” She asked as she pushed open the heavy door.

“Yes mother?” Arabella struggled to keep her pulse down as she feigned calm. 

“Dear, are you alright? You look garish.” 

“Yes, I, uh, was just angry with my weaving. I can’t seem to get it right.”

“Oh, perhaps I can be of some help then.” Catherine glided over to the loom and sat down, taking hold of the comb and threads in Arabella’s hands. Slowly and accurately, she worked the threads expertly through the loom, correcting any mistakes Arabella had made. After about fifteen minutes, a tapping could be heard echoing through the craft room. 

“What on earth is that?” The older woman asked aloud. They both glanced around, searching for the sounds source, until Catherine’s eyes finally landed on one of the windows. “How peculiar.”

Arabella joined her mother as she opened the window and, unintentionally, let a large barn owl inside. It circled the room several times, before landing on the loom and dropping an envelope, allowing it to slide down the woven fabric. Bella’s eyes grew wide with recognition when she saw the seal that adorned it, and as her mother approached the bird.

“Mother! You mustn’t get too close! What if it attacks?”

“Nonsense, don’t be silly,” she dismissed as she continued onward, picking up the paper. “Why, it has your name on it.” Ignoring her usual manners, Catherine turned the envelope around and tore it open. Arabella watched in horror as her mother’s eyes roved back and forth over the paper, squinting as she reached the bottom.

“Mother I-” She was at a loss for words, not knowing how to begin to explain the blasphemy in the letter.

“Bella,” her mother looked up at her, eyes wide. “Do you know something about this?”

“N-no! Of course not! I mean, what? Know what?” 

“Be truthful with me Arabella. What this letter says is blasphemy.” Bella’s pulse spiked as she saw her mother become angrier with every passing moment. “Unless…Bella is this true?”

“I-is what true, mother?”

“Do you practice…” she looked back at the paper in her hand, “witchcraft?” She finished in a whisper.

“No! Mother, please! This is madness! Those are lies. Don’t believe any of it!”

“Bella,” Catherine slowly walked back towards her daughter. Arabella didn’t let her mother touch her though, backing away and becoming more hysterical with every step.

“Mother…I-I don’t know who’s doing this. Why are they doing this?” Tears flowed freely down her face as she imagined all of the horrible consequences of being accused of what the letter was claiming.

“Bella, it’s ok.” Arabella stopped in her tracks and stared at her mother.

“What?”

“I’m not…” She attempted to regain her composure in order to comfort her frightened child. “I’m not saying that this isn’t very serious. Whoever is making these…accusations clearly wants to bring us harm. But we must remain calm if we are to fight these claims.” She paused for a moment in thought.

Using this time to calm herself down, Arabella wiped her face of tears and took deep breaths. The owl still sat on the loom, staring her down. She glared at it and gritted her teeth in hatred. Quite suddenly, a small flame erupted along the threads of the loom and the owl leapt off in panic, before departing out the window.

“What on earth?” Her mother exclaimed as she looked back and forth from the loom to her daughter. “It’s true then? This is witchcraft!”

“No!” She cried out, her hysteria rising again. “I swear it mother! I only practice the word of God!”

“Child! Calm yourself,” her mother shushed her. She appeared to be putting on a brave face, despite her own spiking concern for their situation. “Father Edward will help us. I’m sure of it.” Catherine took the small mat they used to kneel on as they worked and beat the small flame out.

“It’s ruined.” Arabella wasn’t sure why she felt so inclined to make this observation. She was well aware that there were more pressing matters, but perhaps the insignificance of the tapestry’s destruction helped ground her.

“Not a word of this to your father.” Arabella nodded to her mother, both now sufficiently calmed to devise a plan. “We’ll visit the monastery tonight, after dinner.”

Slipping the defamatory papers into a small pouch strung around her waist, the older woman gave her daughter another kind, yet stern, glance before striding out of the room. Arabella let out a great sigh. She had hoped to never let her parents find out about these accusations, but it would appear fate had other plans.

 

It was dark as pitch when the pair ventured to the monastery in search of Father Edward. Catherine had explained to her daughter that, in order to minimize any repercussions, they needed to come forward with the truth before anything else could be made of it. Father Edward was a benevolent priest and would surely understand that someone was actively looking to sully their family’s name.

They pounded the large knocker against the heavy door when they approached. In the starlight that shone through the trees, Bella caught sight of several owls beginning to perch in the areas surrounding them and on the monastery itself. The dark silence of night only made them seem that much more ominous. She saw her mother notice them too, and it prompted her to slam the knocker again.

“My lady, to what do I owe the pleasure at this late hour?” It was not Father Edward.

“Good evening Father Aldrich. My daughter and I were actually looking for Father Edward. Is he available?”

“Of course, of course. Please come in.” He ushered Bella and Catherine inside and offered them a chair and tea, before hurrying off in search of his comrade. He appeared within only a few moments, carrying a candle to light his way to the sitting room and a cup of tea.

“What can I do for you two tonight? Have you come for a confession?” Arabella fidgeted and glanced at her mother, who remained calm and sent a small smile to the priest before them. She was uneasy that the kind man would so easily conclude what they had come for.

“In a manner of speaking. Father, something rather troubling has happened.”

“Oh?” The man’s expression suddenly became very grave. “Whatever is the matter?”

“It would appear…You see….” Even Catherine seemed to be at a loss for words. The corners of her mouth turned downward and her forehead crinkled in seriousness as she considered her next words. “Someone, we don’t know who, has made very serious accusations about my daughter.” Bella fidgeted some more, but trusted that her mother knew what she was doing.

“And what might these accusations be?” Catherine glanced at the young girl beside her and back at the priest.

“Firstly, do I have your word that this conversation remains in the utmost confidence?”

“Of course, child. I’m sure it couldn’t possibly be that bad though. Young Arabella is just a girl; what could she have possibly been accused of?” Her mother hesitated.

A moment passed and Arabella looked up from her lap and to her mother, who seemed to be deep in thought, frowning at nothing in particular. Arabella searched the room for what she might be staring at, but found nothing of interest. 

“Mother?” The older woman snapped out of her reverie and turned back to her companions. Father Edward was sitting patiently across from them, sipping his tea.

“Yes, I…I believe Arabella wanted to confess that she was accused of…stealing. A village woman came to me this morning and told me she had taken a- a doll that belonged to her daughter.” Arabella gaped at her mother and turned her wide eyes back to the man in front of her, switching back and forth, searching for an explanation. She had done no such thing!

“Oh dear,” he chided. “That is certainly a serious offense. Breaking one of Our Lord’s commandments calls for strict punishment indeed.” Arabella was speechless. Why would her mother tell the Father such an outlandish story? Certain she had a plan, however, Arabella kept her mouth shut and played along.

“Yes, I wasn’t sure how to go about her punishment, Father. Perhaps you have a recommendation that can be carried out at home?” The Father nodded and went into a lengthy explanation of how Catherine should proceed with Arabella’s punishment. It was all quite boring to the young girl and she silently prayed her mother wasn’t serious about committing to it. 

 

When the pair arrived back home sometime later, Catherine followed her daughter to her room and quietly shut the door.

“Would you care to explain?” Normally, Bela wouldn’t have the gall to speak to either of her parents like this, but she felt entitled after her mother so quickly changed the plan without telling her. Catherine didn’t seem to register the attitude, as she stirred the logs in the fireplace silently.

“I didn’t trust him.”

“Why? You trusted him enough to go to him.”

“I know, but…He didn’t understand the severity of what we were about to confess. Father Edward is a kind man, but an extremely pious one. He would have reported us. You for witchcraft and me for protecting you, likely your father as well. Who knows what would happen to the children. No, this must remain our secret.” The fire was crackling merrily now, warming the unusually cool August night, but Arabella still shivered with her mother’s newfound realization. 

“Excuse me Mistress,” Mary appeared in the doorway. Catherine and Arabella both turned to look at her. “Father Aldrich has just come for you. He looks quite harrowed.” 

“But we just came from the monastery. What could he want?” Rather than sounding upset, Catherine said this with a tone of utmost concern. Without waiting for a response, she motioned for Bella to follow her out the door and to the entrance hall. Father Aldrich stood there, waiting for them.

“Father, did we forget something at the monastery?”

“No, My Lady. I actually wanted to speak to you about your visit.” Bella perked up at this. What could Father Aldrich possibly know about their visit to Father Edward? They had hardly said anything at all while there. If Catherine felt uneasy, she didn’t show it.

“What is this about, Father?” Arabella couldn’t contain herself. There was too much strangeness going on lately and, even if his visit was completely innocent, Bella found herself paranoid.

“I was curious if…you’ve noticed…has anything strange happened recently?”

“Such as?” Catherine intervened before Bella could open her mouth.

“I noticed an abundance of owls around your home. Have you?”

“Now that you mention it, there have been more than usual. I’m not sure how this would warrant such a strange visit though.”

“Arabella,” he tilted his gaze to meet Bella’s. “Have you received any strange letters recently?”

“You! You’re the one who’s been sending them! Why would you do this?” Bella cried out from behind her mother, who was keeping her from approaching the man.

“This is very serious, Father. You know something of these letters? Have you sent them? Do you know who has?”

“Might we sit down? I think this would be better explained if we were all more comfortable.” Catherine nodded and led the way to a sitting room nearby, where all three members of the small party were served tea.

“Now, please do explain yourself.”

“Lady Catherine, are you not a witch yourself?” The woman’s face flared red with rage at the claim.

“Take care of what you say, sir, or I will have you reported for blasphemy.” With a deep frown, Father Aldrich continued. “So I’ll take that as a ‘no.’ But, somehow it would appear that young Arabella is one herself. Tell me, do you know if your husband is a wizard?”

“Father! How dare you come into my home and toss around these accusations!” Catherine stood very suddenly in her rage and pointed to the door. “You must leave. Now.”

“My Lady, I mean no disrespect or harm.” Somehow, the middle-aged man sitting before them had remained calm, if not a bit disappointed throughout the entire exchange. Attempting to calm herself and sensing no danger, Catherine sat back down with a huff. “Arabella, has anything suspicious happened lately? Anything you might call witchcraft?” Not sure whether or not to be honest with the priest. She frantically looked to her mother, who seemed to be having the same internal battle.

“There was one time…” Catherine began, staring the priest down and searching his eyes for any sign of deception. “She set fire to a tapestry.” Bella’s heart beat rapidly as her mother spoke. She prayed that he would at least be merciful. But he smiled.

“And you received a letter? Do you still have it?” Catherine frowned and shook her head. “Perhaps one of our feathered friends outside has one.” He stood and casually made his way to the front door.

“Those birds are vermin! We have had no respite from them!” Catherine called to the man down the hall. But he opened the grand doors and raised him arm, allowing a petite tawny owl that had been sitting in a tree nearby to perch. He took a paper from its grasp and pulled out a crust of bread he must have been keeping in his robe for the bird. After it flew off, Father Aldrich turned back around and returned to the waiting ladies.

“Let’s see here.” He sat and his companions followed suit and watched as he scanned the papers within the envelope. “It would appear you’ve been accepted to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Congratulations dear girl.” He finished with a broad smile. 

Both women were at a loss for words. This man claimed to be a man of God, yet he so easily accepted these claims, encouraged them even. If it were any other man of the faith, they would have been shackled and imprisoned before you could say ‘witchcraft’.

“H-how do you know all this?” Arabella managed to croak out through her stupor.

“Oh, right. I seem to have forgotten my manners,” he beamed even brighter than before. “I am a wizard.”


	3. Chapter 3

The First Muggleborn

Chapter 3

Sunlight streamed through Arabella’s window and she blinked awake. Memory of the previous night flooded back to her and she shot up in her bed. Mary was just putting a small bundle of clothes away. The older woman nodded in acknowledgement, before moving towards the wardrobe for Arabella’s gown for the day. Dropping herself back to the pillows, the young girl reminisced on the previous night.

“A wizard?” Arabella couldn’t hide her surprise from the man. Her mother appeared to be in a similar state of shock.

“Yes. Although, back in my day, we didn’t have a school to educate our young in the ways of magic,” he looked back at the paper then. “From the looks of your letter, someone should come to call quite soon. When did you first begin receiving your owls?”

“U-uh...a few days?” She responded as if it were a question, she was so dumbstruck. “I don’t want anyone to visit! I just want these people to stay away!” At this though, Father Aldrich’s expression turned to one of disappointment.

“I strongly recommend listening to what they have to say. If you’d like, I can tutor you in some of our ways before your schooling. I’m sure the Founders wouldn’t mind, given your strange situation.”

Before Bella could return with a heated response, her mother placed her hand on her shoulder, holding her back against the chair and effectively silencing her.

“Father, if Bella attended this…institution, she would be taught how to control these…occurrences?” He nodded. “And you could help her?” Another nod.

“Mother! Think reasonably! I’m not going anywhere, especially not with these devil worshipers!”

“But what would we tell Richard? He mustn’t know the truth,” Catherine continued, ignoring her daughter’s outburst. Arabella’s faced paled at the thought of her father learning the truth and she promptly shut her mouth.

“I suppose you could be truthful, at least in part. Tell him that she is to be sent away to school. I can speak to him of its merits, if need be.” Catherine pondered this possibility for a moment before deciding it was the scenario most likely to convince her husband. He was a kind man, but pious and stubborn. He would surely cast Arabella out if he learned the truth. After all, although he loved her, he had two other children to carry on the Atterberry name. Bella knew this and feared for her own safety. Perhaps staying far away from home, where any transgressions would be less likely to reach his ears, would be the safest option.

“Have you an owl?” At Catherine’s blank look, he surmised the answer. “No matter, you can borrow mine, until you do.” Father Aldrich stood from his chair, concluding their impromptu meeting. As Catherine and Arabella walked him to the front door, he turned back around.

“I will write to the Founders and tell them of our plans. Surely they would like to discuss them with you themselves.” And with that, he was out the door and wandering back to the monastery, in the dark.

After taking a moment to collect herself and prepare for the day, Bella threw the covers off and hopped out of bed, her feet meeting the summer-warmed floor. A tapping was heard from her window and she glanced over at Mary, to see if the matronly woman had heard it. She was still laying out Bella’s gown and underthings. 

Discretely, the girl scooted to the window and opened it. A short-eared owl sat on the sill and stared up at her with bright yellow eyes. It held its leg out to her, where there was a rolled up parchment tied to it. After removing it, the owl continued to sit on the sill, staring at Arabella expectantly. Remembering that Father Aldrich had given the owl last night a reward for its delivery, Bella hurried to her night table to fetch some leftover bread from the previous night. It was stale and the bird didn’t appear to appreciate that, but it hooted and flew off anyway. Arabella watched it fly off and made sure Mary was still indisposed, before she unrolled the little scroll.

 

Miss Arabella,  
I have written to the Founders of Hogwarts with great haste last night and received word this morning that they plan on meeting with you this afternoon. If you would like for me to join you and your mother, please send a note back with Dreda and I will be sure to be there.   
I hope all goes well!  
Yours,   
Father Aldrich

 

Arabella looked into the sky where the little owl had flown off without waiting for a response. With a sigh, she stowed the letter away under her pillow to be recovered after she had finished dressing for the d ay. Perhaps her mother would send a messenger to the older man before whoever this representative was arrived.

1 Hour Later

“This afternoon?” Catherine read over the message Arabella received that morning in a panic. “What will I tell your father?”

“Tell me what?” The two women jumped in alarm and stowed the letter under a bowl on the table where they sat. Dumbfounded and at a loss for words, Catherine’s mouth opened and shut like a fish, and in perhaps an act of her growing maturity, Bella responded.

“I’ve been contacted by a prestigious school, Father. They would like to discuss its merits later today.”

“Oh. That’s quite…sudden.” Richard’s forehead creased in thought as he contemplated this. “I’ve heard no prior news of this.”

“Right…that’s because…you were away!” Her voice raised an octave, surprised with her on-the-spot lies. “Yes, while you were in France I was contacted and since you weren’t home, I saw fit to respond. Please don’t be cross; I only agreed to hear what they had to say. Besides, Father Aldrich spoke very highly of the institution when I went to him for conference.” Her last statement seemed to ease his mind, for his forehead smoothed out and a small smile grace his features. 

“I see. Well, if Father Aldrich approves, I suppose there can be no harm. I will, of course, be sitting in with you and these representatives.” Bella’s face fell and she glanced at her mother for support, but was offered none. Catherine, too, hadn’t a clue how to respond to their advantage.

“…of course, Father.” Richard smiled, grabbed an apple from the bowl on the table (where the letter was hastily hidden) and walked out of the kitchen, leaving his women to their own devices.

“Mother!” Though Bella cried out accusingly, they both knew neither of them was at fault.

“Æthelweard!” Catherine called out towards the back of the kitchen, where a young boy, about sixteen years old came running out.

“Yes Mistress?”

“I need you to make haste to the monastery and bring Father Aldrich back immediately. Make sure to tell him it’s very important.”

“Yes Mistress,” he said as he dusted flour from his hair and turned around to start his journey. With any luck, he would bring the older man back before their visitors arrived.

 

-Three Hours Later-

 

The kitchen boy did indeed make haste with his task and was rewarded with extra pay for the week, which he humbly, but gratefully accepted. Father Aldrich sat in the dining hall, with a cup of tea on the table in front of him and two very uncomfortable looking women across. Richard had been called for, before any food would be set out for lunch. It had been decided that Catherine and Arabella should have something in their stomachs to fend off any nausea they may experience during their meeting.

Before the man of the house joined them, however, Mary appeared in the entranceway, announcing that their visitor had arrived. Arabella and her mothing shared panicked looks before allowing Mary to let their guest in, despite Richard’s absence. A moment later, a regal looking woman, draped in shimmering blue silks glided through the archway. She spotted her two hostesses and smiled, before gracefully making her way towards them.

“Greetings guest. We are pleased to make your acquaintance,” Catherine stood and held her hand out for the regal woman, who lightly grasped it and lowered her forehead to it in respect.

“It is my pleasure, I assure you. These recent events are unprecedented. Most interesting.” Her gaze met Arabella’s who was still hunched over in her seat, unsure what to do, despite her years of training in propriety. “My name is Rowena Ravenclaw.”


	4. Chapter 4

The First Muggleborn

Chapter 4

“I understand Lord Atterberry will be joining us,” Mrs. Ravenclaw stated in a thick Scottish accent

“Yes,” Catherine responded hesitantly. “But, you see, Mistress Ravenclaw, my husband-”

“Shan’t ken a thing about magic. Yes, Father Aldrich explained it quite well in his letter.” The dark haired woman glanced around the room for a moment before taking a seat that both Catherine and Arabella had forgotten to offer her. “Will the Father be joining us as well?”

“Catherine flushed scarlet as she realized her forgotten manners and nodded her head rigorously to make up for it.

“Yes, My Lady. I’ve sent word earlier today. We’re expecting him shortly.”

As fate would have it, at that very moment, Mary scurried into the room to announce Father Aldrich’s arrival. He was quickly offered the customary pleasantries and the small party exchanged some conversation over pastries that Mary soon brought out for them.

About a half hour into the meeting, the heavy wooden door slammed against the wall, signaling Richard’s arrival. All four heads turned to the source of the sound and found the burly man strolling into the room with his two favorite wolfhounds in tow.

"What do we have here?" He announced, more than asked, as he took in the company before him. "Father, a pleasure, as always. And, My Lady, what a pleasure to have you at our table. Please, sit." They all did as he asked and proceeded with the discussion.

"Richard, dear, Lady Ravenclaw was just telling us of her wonderful institution. Many refined young ladies attend," Catherine began, in an obvious effort to sway her husband into compliance.

"Is this so?"

"Aye, My Lord. Although, our students begin their studies at age eleven, many attain quite advantageous marriages upon completion," Rowena piped in. While this was not untrue, Mistress Ravenclaw left out the fact that those marriages were almost entirely within the magical world and Richard was highly unlikely to have heard of any of them.

"I see..." Lord Atterberry stroked his large beard with one hand and, with the other, stroked the head of a hound seated next to him. "What do you think, my dear?" He asked of the canine beside him. Catherine shrugged off the slight of being ignored in favor of a dog, by focusing her energy on willing her husband to agree to send Arabella to Hogwarts. The man stopped rubbing the dog's head and waited for a response, and received a dissatisfied whine from his companion. He resumed his stroking and turned back to the small group.

"You seem to me an honorable woman, My Lady. If my wife believes your institution to be as reputable as you claim, then I will concede, especially with the commendation of Father Aldrich here." 

Everyone else in the room quietly released breaths they had been holding in relief. 

"Will that be all then?" He asked while shuffling to the edge of the chair in preparation to stand. "Because, if so, I believe I have a rendezvous with a particularly elusive buck."

"Yes, dear, I'm sure we can make further arrangements on our own," Catherine told her husband, who wasted no time before giving his regards to the guests and making his way out the doorway, trailing behind him. The group sat in a relieved silence for a moment, before resuming their discussion. 

"You mentioned the need of a...what was it? A wand?" Catherine inquired of the Deputy Headmistress.

"Aye," Rowena replied, brandishing her own and waving it for Arabella to see. “My wand comes from a Rowan tree and has a unicorn hair core. I’m quite proud of it.”

“Unicorn hair?” Bella piped in. “But they’re not real!”

“Of course they are, lass. How else would I have gotten a tail hair for my wand? I made my own, but I can accompany you to call on Mr. Ollivander. His family has been making wands since 382 B.C., and very fine ones at that.”  
Arabella glanced at her mother, who nodded at her to pose any of her own questions, although Bella suspected that she was still too dumbfounded to pose any questions of her own. She turned to Father Aldrich then, with pleading eyes, asking whether she should go with this woman anywhere.

“Gladwyn Ollivander is a good friend. I’m sure he’ll pair you with a very fitting wand,” he told her. At this time, he showed her his own once more. “I got my own wand from his father, Graeme. Not all of us are as skilled as Rowena that we can make our own.”

“Aye, and luckier still that it chose me. Could ye imagine if I made this wand and it chose another? How embarrassing.”

“It chose you? What on earth do you mean?” Rowena smiled brightly at the girl before her and told her that Mr. Ollivander would explain all about it when they met him. Bella wasn’t satisfied but knew her manners wouldn’t allow her to pry further.

“When would you be able to go to Diagon Alley? There are quite a few things you’ll be needing for the school year.”

“Well, I…I suppose the sooner the better. Where is this ‘Diagon Alley’? Is it far?”

“Oh, a wee bit. But dinna fash. We’ll Apparate.”

“What’s appa- never mind. I suppose I’ll learn all this when we go. When would be most convenient for you Madam?”

“I have some time tomorrow. I need to take my little Helena too. You’ll be starting your first year with her!”

“Helena? You have a daughter?” This time, it was Catherine’s turn to ask a question.

“Yes, my darling babe. She turned eleven back in February and has been so excited to start her schooling. Perhaps the two of you will be friends.” Mistress Ravenclaw said this, hoping for it to come true, but knowing her daughter’s sometimes cold personality might clash with other students.

“Tomorrow would work well, I think. Mother, there isn’t anything I’m forgetting, is there?” 

“No I don’t believe so,” Catherine responded with a small smile of relief that the meeting had gone by so easily. “Mistress Ravenclaw, will you be joining us for dinner?”

“No I don’t think I will. I need to get back to Portree. I have a pesky Hebridean who’s been stealing snatching up local cattle.” The two other ladies in the room had no idea what a Hebridean was and thought it best not to ask, so together, with Father Aldrich, the group made their way to the entrance and bid adieu.

In the distance, the pair could see Christopher playing with some local boys, and called him inside to wash for dinner. Catherine instructed Arabella to track down Alfreda, her baby sister, and then joined the cook in the kitchen to help with food preparation.

“Did I miss anything interesting during your meeting, dear?” Richard asked of Arabella when the family was finally seated at the dinner table. Bella took her time swallowing her meaty stew in order to formulate a sufficient response.

“Mistress Ravenclaw was very informative about this school. In fact, I will be meeting with her again tomorrow.”

“What for?” Bella hadn’t planned her response well enough to foresee this question and she panicked, even though her father had asked with no hint of suspicion.

“Mistress Ravenclaw has agreed to be something of a mentor to Arabella.”

“I don’t see why Father Aldrich couldn’t do that. You did say he was familiar with the school.” The two women glanced at each other, nervousness starting to creep under their skin.

“Yes, but it would be so much nicer for Bella to have a proper Lady to learn from. I certainly respect the Father, but he is so confined to the church, I fear her education may be lacking.” The bearded man seemed to mull this information over as he chewed on a thick bite of bread.

“Alright then. So tell me, my love, what will this Ravenclaw woman be doing with you tomorrow?”  
“I-I don’t know, Father,” Arabella could think of no convenient lie to tell her father, and she certainly couldn’t tell him that she would be going to a wizarding village. “It is to be a surprise.” Fortunately, Richard was not an overly inquisitive man. He smiled at her, wished her an enjoyable time and turned to his son.  
“And you, Christopher! What on earth have you been doing all day? Is that mud I spy behind your ear?” Arabella and her mother exchanged a relieved gaze as the dinner conversation was directed away from sensitive topics and instead geared towards Christopher’s poor hygiene. The family laughed and continued on as if Bella’s world wasn’t forever changed.

The following day, Arabella and Catherine sat in the former’s bedroom, with Alfreda sitting quietly on her mother’s hip. The group awaited word of Rowena Ravenclaw’s arrival and passed the time by playing pick-up sticks.

“You’re going to get it! Oh dear what’s that!” Bella was momentarily distracted from her maneuver by her mother’s outburst.

“Where? What?” 

“Oh,” Catherine sighed. “I believe it was a distraction.” It would appear to have been a good one, since the sticks Bella was trying so desperately to avoid moving had all toppled over each other. Swinging a blonde lock of hair away from her face, Bella glared at her mother, but wasn’t truly angry with her…well, maybe just a little.

“Cheating isn’t fair mother.”

“It isn’t my fault you’re so easy to cheat against,” Catherine smirked at her daughter, which turned into a true smile, before picking the sticks up from the table to restart their game.

There was a soft knock at the door and both women turned to face Mary, who had let herself in to announce Rowena Ravenclaw’s arrival. Catherine allowed her daughter to take charge of the situation and direct Mary to lead the way out. When they spotted their guests admiring the set of antlers adoring the head of the front door, a new wave of nervousness set in their stomachs.

“Miss Atterberry, how lovely to see you again so soon. This is my daughter, Helena.” The young girl beside the Deputy Headmistress stood about a head taller than Arabella, but still possessed a cherubic face. Helena gave a shallow curtsy to the women, and Bella did the same. Catherine acknowledged the pair with a small nod and smile.

“Pleasure to meet you Helena,” Bella knew her manners told her to address her new companion by her title, but she was still at a loss for what the title was. She cringed as she was forced to address Helena by her given name, but could think of no other option.

“And you, My Lady.”

“Where is it that you will be going today?” Catherine asked of the older woman before her.

“Diagon Alley, Ma’am. It’s just in London.”

“London? That’s a day’s ride away! When will you be back?” Catherine mentally kicked herself for not asking this sooner. She would have had Mary pack a bag for Bella if she was to be gone overnight!

“Dinna fash. We’ll be gone but a few hours. In time for supper I should think.” Catherine was dumbstruck. 

“But…how?”

“Magic, dear.” The Lady of the house resigned herself to just accept that magic would likely be the most common explanation in the future and simply closed her eyes and nodded her head.

“Shall we be off?” Rowena asked, without waiting for a response. Helena followed her mother out the doorway, leaving Arabella to say her goodbyes to her mother. Catherine made sure her daughter double checked the pouch at her hip for the money she was given for her school supplies and hugged her fiercely. 

“If anything happens that scares you, run alright? I’ll not have my favorite daughter harmed. I don’t know how I feel about this magic nonsense, and I certainly don’t want anyone accusing you openly about it. Understand?”

“Yes, mother,” Bella replied as she hugged her mother back.

“I love you.”

“I love you too.”

With that, the two broke apart from each other and Arabella joined the witches who stood outside the doorway. Once all three were holding hands, with Helena in the middle of the small group, Rowena raised the wand that she had shown the Atterberry women. Bella watched her curiously, while Catherine stared, with a sick feeling in her gut.

 

Crack!

 

And the three were gone.


	5. Chapter 5

The First Muggleborn

Chapter 5

The world was spinning uncontrollably. Flashes of colors flew past Arabella and she couldn’t process whether or not her feet were still on the ground. Her lungs constricted and she fought to inhale, with no luck. This torture seemed to go on forever.

Then it was over.

Bella immediately threw herself on the hard ground and emptied her stomach, unaware if anyone watched her, and not caring. Tears streamed down her face as her retching turned to dry-heaving and gulps for air. It took a moment for Bella to realize that a hand was rubbing her back in soothing patterns.

“Would you get up? We have a lot to do today.” The blonde looked up to the source of the voice and found Helena standing over her. It was Mistress Ravenclaw who was rubbing her back.

“Helena, be kind. Arabella hasna apparated before.”

“Well, that’s not much of an excuse for wasting our time.”

Suddenly embarrassed of her grotesque display, Arabella scrambled to stand and took in her surroundings. They stood against a wall, in what looked to be a marketplace. Men and women, or rather, wizards and witches milled around the shops and socialized, just as any regular person would. If Arabella hadn’t already known these people were all magical, she might almost have thought they were normal, although most were wearing a strange type of robe.

“Are you sure you’re feeling alright? We can sit if you need.”

“No, thank you. I’m quite alright. Where do we need to go?” Rowena gave her a scrutinizing look, before turning to Helena and nodding her along.

“First, you’ll be needing your school robes. Simple black ones will do. Then we’ll get your quills and parchment and books. You brought your supply list, right?” Bella nodded her head, only half listening to the woman walking beside her. Her main focus was on the marketplace around her. There were small children giggling near their mothers’ skirts and running around, straddling broomsticks. There were also people who looked to be about her own age, who were carrying bags filled to the brim with wares. Some even carried brooms of their own. Bella made a mental note to ask what the fascination with brooms was. Hopefully this school didn’t require its students to perform maintenance duties.

Snapping out of her trace-like state, Bella stubbed her toe on a step she hadn’t realized was in front of her. Apparently, they had arrived at their first stop: Malkin’s Robes for All Occasions, as the sign suggested. The trio stepped inside and was greeted by a young man, no older than 30.

“Good day to you. Ah Professor Ravenclaw! How good to see you!” The man beamed at the group. “And young Helena! I haven’t seen you in ages. Are you beginning at Hogwarts this year? How exciting!”

“Yes, I’m very proud, Mabon.” Rowena smiled back at him.

“And who’s this? I haven’t seen you before,” Mabon asked as he spotted Arabella. Rowena looked at her expectantly, waiting for her to answer. Bella looked at the man before her and decided that he wasn’t very threatening, so there was really no reason for her to hide behind her shyness.

“I’m Arabella Atterberry.”

“Atterberry? I’m afraid I’m not familiar with that family. Are you a half-blood?”

“A what?”

“A half-blood, lass. It means someone who has one magical and one muggle parent,” Rowena explained.

“Muggle?”

“Non-magical folk.”

“Oh…uh, no. I don’t think I’m a half-blood,” she told the shopkeeper. “Am I?” She looked back at the older woman for confirmation. The corners of Rowena’s mouth perked up a bit and she looked back to Mabon.

“It would appear that Miss Atterberry’s magic bobbed up from nowhere. Both her parents are muggles.” Mabon’s eyes seemed to grow ten times.

“Fascinating! You’re sure? Neither parent is magical?”

“No!” Bella cried out angrily. How dare he suggest her parents were anything other than ordinary! Then again, she was one to talk. Mabon didn’t seem to notice Bella’s outrage, as he looked her over, as if some anomaly about her would make itself known. When none appeared, he sighed and strolled towards the back of the shop, with the two other women following him.

“You’ll see I have several new fabrics to choose from since your last visit. Would you be interested in any?”

“No thank you, Mabon. We’re only here for the school robes today,” Rowena responded.

“Very well.” 

Arabella caught up to the group and watched as Helena stood on a small pedestal and Mabon began taking her measurements, directing a measuring rope around the girl with his wand. A quill and scroll floated next to him, presumably writing down the results. Arabella wondered how the quill knew what to write, but just reminded herself ‘magic’.

After a few minutes, it was her turn. This really wasn’t very different than getting fitted for a normal gown, expect the person doing the fitting wasn’t crouched down below her. Bella gazed at herself in the mirror, finding nothing else to do as the rope traveled around her. In the reflection, she could spot fabric being magically folded and sewn and cut on the other side of the room. She would later come to learn that this was one of the robes that would be Helena’s. Her own robes took only a short while longer to make, and before long, the trio made their way to the counter to pay for their robes.

“What’s this?” Mabon asked once Bella placed some coins on the wooden counter.

“Er-payment, sir.”

“Oh dear, this is muggle money, isn’t it?”

“I suppose so…what other kind is there?”

“Magical, of course!” He responded with a bright smile. This man was far too happy all the time.

“Oh, of course,” Bella droned, rolling her eyes. “Will there be a problem?” She hadn’t really meant to snap this at him, but she was growing eager to just get home already. She had only interacted with three magical people today and they were already wearing on her nerves. Mabon picked a coin up and inspected it closely.

“I suppose I can take this payment. I’ll have to exchange it at the Wizard’s Council though. A bit inconvenient.”

“So glad there isn’t a problem, Mabon.” Rowena smiled at the man. “I hoped there wouldn’t be, given the number of half-bloods who must come in with muggle parents.” He nodded hesitantly.

Their next stop was Amanuensis Quills, where the girls purchased their writing supplies, followed by Potage’s Cauldron Shop. Neither shopkeeper had too much to complain about when handling Bella’s muggle money, but did frown when they realized that they would need to exchange it later.

“I suppose the last requirement needed would be a wand. Almost done, dear.” Rowena patted Bella on the shoulder before starting for their last destination. It was getting late in the day and she was very hungry. They hadn’t stopped for any food and some of these shops were quite a far walk from each other. Bella wondered at Helena and Mistress Ravenclaw’s stamina.

“Mister Ollivander?” Rowena called out once they entered the store. The shopkeeper was nowhere to be seen, but the group wandered to the shop counter regardless. “Gladwyn, are you here?”

“Yes! Yes, I’m here!” They could hear a voice calling out from the back of the shop, muffled by shelves upon shelves of long, thin boxes.

“Do you need any help?” Rowena called out again after he had not appeared for several moments.

“No, no. I’ll be just a moment!” True to his word, Mister Ollivander stumbled from behind a significant pile of boxes with a broad smile gracing his pointy face. “Ah! Professor Ravenclaw! What a pleasure. Are we here for Miss Helena’s first wand today?”

“Yes, she’s most excited. Aren’t you Helena?” Rowena responded, looking down to her daughter. Helena looked back with a slightly irritated expression.

“Of course I am. You wouldn’t make one for me yourself.”

“Helena, I’ve explained that wand making is very tricky work. Besides, it wouldn't do to have made a wand and it not choose you.”

“Yours chose you.”

“Yes, and I was very fortunate for that, but there was no way of knowing that would happen.”

Arabella watched the exchange before her and couldn’t help but wonder why Helena seemed so angry all day. Was she always like this? Bella certainly hoped not. It would make for a very unhappy year at school if her only friend was constantly ornery.

Their dispute ended and Bella could see from around Professor Ravenclaw’s skirts that Mr. Ollivander was rummaging through some boxes stacked on a shelf to the small group’s right. When he found whichever one he was searching for, he returned to the counter and placed the wand it held before Helena. The girl quickly took hold of it and waved it around.

“Hm. No luck with that one. Perhaps…” The old man turned back around in search of a different box from the pile he stumbled on earlier. When he found it, he held that too out for Helena. Unlike the first wand, however, this wand gave of a soft blue light when it touched Helena’s fingers.

“This one. Thank you Mr. Ollivander,” Helena told the old man curtly.

“Wonderful. So glad we found your match so quickly. Now, that will be five sickles, please.”

“Of course, but we have Miss Arabella with us today as well. She’ll be needing a wand too,” Rowena answered politely. Bella peeked from behind the Professor, making herself more visible. The room was small and the clutter of boxes made it even harder to move around, but the man behind the counter did see her.

“Oh! Didn’t see you there! Will you be starting Hogwarts this year too?”

“Yes sir,” Bella firmly responded.

“Then you’re going to need a wand! Let’s see what we can do for you.” Ollivander looked Bella over, making her a bit uncomfortable under the scrutiny, before he turned away and came back moments later with a box outstretched and a wand lying within.

Bella stared at the stick of wood, waiting patiently for her to pick it out of the box, which she did after a few moments. Mimicking Helena, she waved it around in a circle, with no effect. Seeing the disappointed look on Mr. Ollivander's face, she placed it back in the box and waited for another option to be presented to her. The old man closed the lid over the box and tapped a finger to his chin in thought, before he disappeared, once again.

"Do you have any interest in charmwork, Miss?" He called out from somewhere among the mess. Arabella glanced up at her future Professor in question, but received no answer.

"I don't know," she called back. When Ollivander gave no reply, Bella began to fidget in impatience. He returned but a moment later with a new box.

"Let's try this one." Arabella took hold of the new wand and went through the same motions as she did the first time. In fact, the eleven-year-old went through these same motions ten more times with no luck. The group was growing weary and Bella was getting crankier with every new stick this old man pushed in front of her. It had been at least two hours since they had walked into the store and there was now another patron waiting by the door.

The thirteenth wand was placed before Arabella without any accompanying encouragement. With a huff, the girl picked it out of the dusty brown box and waved it with an exaggerated flourish. So distracted was she, that she almost didn’t notice the tingle that ran up her arm and the soft breeze that rustled her hair around her face. 

"Acacia with unicorn hair core," Ollivander told the group with a small grin. "I must admit, I didn't know if it would like you, but I was getting desperate. A powerful wand, though. I think we can expect great things from you."  
She stared at the wand in her right hand with wide eyes, as the two older occupants of the room smiled tiredly and Helena gave an impatient sigh.

"Are we going to wait for his wand too, or may we leave?" Helena practically growled, pointing at the boy who had been waiting for his turn with the shop keeper. Not wanting to incur more of her wrath, Bella thanked Mr. Ollivander with a genuine smile and the group paid for their new belongings.

Once outside, Arabella remembered what her mother had told her about making sure no one would openly accuse her of being a witch, and stashed her new wand away where it wouldn't be seen. Even though they happened to be in some sort of village where almost everyone was magical, Bella didn't want to take her chances of running into a priest lightly.

"Is your mother expecting you for dinner, or would you like to sup at our home?" Rowena asked Bella kindly. 

"Do you live nearby?"

"No. We would need to apparate again," The Professor's expression gave away the memory of Bella reaction to apparition earlier in that day. "Perhaps you'd like to go home."

"Yes, I think that would be for the best," Bella responded, remembering for herself the horrible sick episode she experienced. She mentally prepared herself for it once again, knowing she would need to apparate just to get home. 

"Come then, let us find a quiet spot to depart from." The two eleven-year-olds followed the tall woman to an empty alleyway, where they all held hands and disappeared with a loud crack!

 

~~~~~~~~~~

 

"Bella dear! Are you alright?" Catherine exclaimed upon seeing her daughter bent over in a bush outside their front door.

"Dinna fash Mistress. She's just having a bad reaction to the mode of travel," Rowena told the harried mother who was holding her daughter's hair and rubbing her back.

"'Dinna fash'? My daughter is ill! I trusted you to keep her safe!" Catherine's face was growing red, despite Arabella's steadily decreasing heaving.

"My Lady, I can assure you she will be perfectly fi-"

"NO! Arabella will have no more of this. Come, dear, let us try and find something to settle your-"

"Mother!" Arabella managed to gasp out before it was too late. "I'm fine, really. I'll be alright. This happened earlier and I was perfectly fine after a few moments." She paused to dry heave into the bush once more. "I enjoyed myself today, mother. I got a wand!" The blonde brandished her brand new wand in the air and waved it around for Catherine to see.

"A what?"

"My wand, mother," Bella told her, pulling the wood close to her chest, suddenly remembering to be discreet. "I use it to do magic at school."

"Oh, I'm...glad you got your wand," Catherine was clearly uncomfortable having this confrontation in front of the two nearby witches, but turned to them to face her embarrassment. "It appears I owe you an apology. I thank you for taking Arabella to purchase her school things. Were there any other problems?"

"No ma'am. Although I'm sure Arabella must be famished by now. We haven't had a chance to eat."

"Yes, I'll be sure she has a proper meal. Thank you."

"Good then. We'll be off, yes Helena?"

"Yes, please." Helena rolled her eyes and took hold of her mother's hand.

"I'll send an owl soon!" Was the last thing Catherine and Arabella heard from the Scottish woman before she and her daughter disappeared once again.


	6. Chapter 6

The First Muggleborn 

Chapter 6

The next two weeks passed by in a flurry of packing and owls. Rowena had kept her word and an owl arrived the very next day, bearing a letter that described the details of Arabella’s arrival at Hogwarts. Due to her unusual circumstances, Bella would be permitted to arrive in a carriage, until alternative arrangement could be arranged. Because of this, she would need to leave at least a week in advance of the start of term. 

There was also the problem with the carriage driver: who could drive the carriage without finding out about Hogwarts? Rowena had told Catherine and Arabella not to worry about that; it would be taken care of once she arrived. The explanation was rather cryptic, and both women worried that whoever drove might wind up not returning, but they had agreed to put their trust in these people and prayed that whoever was selected for the journey would return unharmed.

Eventually, the day came when Arabella had her bags loaded onto the carriage, with one of the stablemen waiting for her to get in. There had been a few more incidents of what Rowena had referred to as “accidental magic” and neither Catherine, nor Arabella, wanted to risk Richard stumbling on any of them, so they thought it best to leave with a few extra days for travel. It was August 22, and both of Arabella’s parents stood in front of the manor, tearfully sending her off—well, her mother was anyway. Richard stood, ever the imposing figure, making sure to hug his eldest child with as much dignity as he could muster. Bella knew him well though, and could see how much he was already missing her. Her younger siblings had little idea what was going on, but Bella gave them both hugs regardless.

“Be safe, Bella,” her mother told her, as she gave a firm hug. “Make sure you learn all you can. Nothing can go wrong.”

“I understand mother,” and she did. Arabella needed to learn how to control this magic within her before something terrible happened, or someone accused her openly of being a witch, no matter how truthful that claim was. 

“I won’t disappoint you.”

After boarding the carriage, Arabella waved to her family as they grew smaller and smaller in the distance, until she could no longer see them through the growing forestation that she traveled through.  
It didn’t take very long for her to get bored. In fact, it was likely no more than a half hour before she began to fidget with restlessness. This would be a long trip. She tried to quell her fidgeting by reminding herself that she didn’t get the opportunity to leave Wessex often and should take advantage of the sights she passed. 

As she looked out the window, she wasn’t impressed. Trees. Lots and lots of trees. Since her father was an avid hunter, she knew that there were many different types of trees and there were ways you could tell them apart, but to Bella, they were all brown and had leaves.

She must have fallen asleep at some point, because after a few moments of tree gazing, she was being lightly shaken awake by Osbeorn, the driver. They had reached a small village and he thought she would want to stop to eat and stretch. She did, and as Bella began to step out of the carriage, realized how tight her young muscles had become over the few hours they had been riding. She followed Osbeorn around the village until they came upon a home that took them in and fed them. Fortunately, Catherine had given Osbeorn money to compensate anyone they came across. After they ate and rested, the pair returned to the carriage and Bella reluctantly settled in for another few boring hours of travel.

Arabella’s travel consisted of much the same level of excitement throughout the entire journey. She spent her time sightseeing through her window, practicing her embroidery, and humming tunes to herself. At one point the horse lost a shoe, but fortunately the carriage wasn’t far from a village, so it was repaired relatively quickly.

When it became too dark for Osbeorn to see the path each evening, they either spent the night in a nearby village, or Arabella would have to make due with her carriage, while the older man tried to make himself comfortable sleeping outside. Bella consoled her mind by convincing herself that he must be comfortable in all sorts of strange environments. He normally worked in the pasture and likely slept in the barn. Briefly, the girl wondered if he was married, having never taken the time to learn much about the people who worked in her family's manor.

After nearly a week, Arabella noticed the carriage had slowed somewhat, so she peered out the window and realized that they had arrived at a sort of town. There were people milling about in every direction, but what had likely caught Osbeorn's attention and caused the slowed pace of the carriage was the blatant use of magic among the population. Every which way Bella looked, witches and wizards had their wands out and were casting spells or curses or whatever they were called. One woman, not far from the carriage, had magicked her bags to float behind her as she walked. It was at her whom Osbeorn was staring at, unaware that the horse was slowing to a stop, with a determined gaze on some grass by the side of the pathway.

"Osbeorn!" Bella called to him from her window. She caught his attention and saw that his eyes had grown wide as a deer who knew it was trapped.

"Yes mi'Lady?"

"Why have we stopped?"

"I-there's-witchcraft," he responded uncomfortably, in a whisper. 

"I don't know what you're talking about. Keep driving." Bella didn't know how to refute his claims that there were witches surrounding them, when there most definitely were witches surrounding them. At least she knew that they meant her no harm and they would pass through with no quarrel.

The carriage sped up quite a bit more after that and Arabella assumed the man was eager to leave the town he had so unwittingly led them in to. She smiled to herself for a moment. A small part of her seemed to enjoy that one day people might be this nervous around her simply because she had power over them. Unfortunately for Osbeorn, it was getting late and Arabella had absolutely no intention of sleeping in her carriage while there was a perfectly good village right there. She instructed him to pull the carriage over and join her in searching for somewhere to stay for the night.

After a short walk, the pair came across an interesting looking building that advertised rooms to let on a board outside the front door. Bella pushed open the door, with her companion close by her heels. There weren’t many people inside, and those who were appeared bedraggled and foreboding. Attempting to push her unease aside and be brave in a scary environment, Arabella strode to what appeared to be a service counter. There stood a crusty looking man who was bent over the counter and rolling some coins around on top of the rough wood.

“Pardon me, sir.” Bella began, he voice not as determined as she had planned.

“Eh?” The man glared up at her from his huddled position. Osbeorn’s hand gripped Bella’s shoulder tightly.

“My companion and I are in need of accommodations for the night. I saw a sign for rooms as we came inside.” Crusty looked from Bella to Osbeorn, and back again, with a questionable smirk on his face.

“Lucky man,” he said as he began searching for a key in the drawer behind the counter. “Maybe you’d give me a chance with ‘er when you’re done, eh?” Bella stared confusedly at the barman, but felt Osbeorn stiffen next to her.

“You will watch your tongue! Lady Arabella Atterberry is of noble birth and will be treated as such!” Osbeorn’s face had grown bright red from the amount of blood that rushed there, before fading dramatically to a pale white after realized his outburst. Crusty lifted an eyebrow and handed Osbeorn the key.

“Tha’ll be one Galleon.”

“A what?” Bella’s companion asked.

“A Galleon. You think this is free?”

“Here, sir,” Arabella handed the wizarding money to the man across from her. During their correspondence via owl, Professor Ravenclaw had been gracious enough to exchange some of Arabella’s muggle money for wizarding currency on her behalf, at the Wizarding Council, so she wouldn’t have too much trouble on her way to school.

The man grunted in response to her offering and pocketed the coin.

"Name's Rosmerta. Murtagh Rosmerta."

"Thank you, sir."

"Be off wi' ya then." Before he could say anything else offensive, Bella grabbed Osbeorn's arm and led him in the direction Mr. Rosmerta pointed them.

Their room was nothing special. It was actually far below Bella's standards and she honestly almost considered sleeping in the carriage after all. But the sky looked like rain and poor Osbeorn already appeared to be coming down with something after the past week of questionable sleeping arrangements.

She was considerate enough, but not unselfish; she still claimed the bed for herself.

The pair quickly grew hungry, so the eleven-year-old handed her companion some wizarding money, which he inspected curiously but raised no questions, and sent him back to Crusty Rosmerta for some food. The amount she gave him must have been significant, because Osbeorn returned with nearly as much food as would normally be served for a feast at home.

"The fellow downstairs said we were in someplace called Hogsmeade. Strange sort of place isn't it?" Bella could tell Osbeorn was attempting to find out if she knew something he didn't about their destination and the strangeness of what had been going on. 

"I suppose it's a funny name."

"And a funny town, wouldn't you say?"

"I...haven't noticed anything strange." He didn't appear satisfied, but kept his mouth shut anyway.

When their meal was over, Osbeorn left the room so Bella could dress for bed in privacy. When she alerted him that she had finished and was safely covered, he returned and removed his warm coat, before taking a pillow Bella had offered him, and curling up on his side at the far end of the room.

It took some time for the girl to drift off. As she lay there though, she took stock of the day. They had finally arrived at Hogsmeade! Professor Ravenclaw had told her that Hogwarts was a short distance from the village, so they would likely arrive at the school the following day. Bella wondered though, about how Osbeorn was able to enter the town. The older woman had also said it was enchanted to ward off non-magic folk. Then again: Magic. Bella sighed in mild frustration and rolled over.

"Miss!" Bella grumbled in response from under the furs covering her. "Miss!" She peeked one eye open, but saw only the inside of the skin. "Miss! We must be leaving!"

"Go back to sleep." She ordered her sleep disruptor.

"Miss, we should not tarry. The institution waits."

"What?"

"Your Hogwarts."

"Oh...right." Arabella rubbed her eyes clear of morning fogginess and noticed the hairs on Osbeorn's arm were standing on end. Remembering how the stable cats at home reacted in the same way when frightened, the blonde took some pity on the man and hurried herself a bit more so they could leave. The dark-haired man appeared quite grateful and made an effort to calmly leave Bella in some privacy.

Once downstairs, he practically inhaled his breakfast (some sort of vegetable stew, but which vegetables, Bella couldn't be sure). Bella ate somewhat more delicately, but still tried to make haste. Osbeorn then stood by the entrance as she wiped the corners of her mouth and politely bid Crusty Rosmerta goodbye. He only grunted in reply.

Dawn had only just arrived, meaning only a few people were wandering the pebbled road. Not many were using magic either, and those who were only performed minor tasks and mischief. Some children in an alleyway, perhaps a year or two older than Bella, really, had somehow managed to change a frog into a goblet and proceeded to change it back and forth several times. When Osbeorn asked Arabella if she could see this, she blamed his "hallucinations" on the early morning and tiredness. Whether he believed her or not, Bella felt that the carriage moved much faster than it had all week.

A thick Scottish fog had settled over the hills in the distance, but as the carriage bounced along, a silhouette could be seen forming through the grey mist. Bella's eyes widened as she spotted towers so tall they must have been touching the clouds in the sky. Part of the ground level appeared to have been carved from a cliffside, as though the structure had naturally grown from the rock. In fact, the bricks that made up the rest of the castle, for that's truly what this place looked like, looked as though they may in fact have been made from the same stone it grew from. Surely some amount of magic was responsible for its formation.

The carriage grew closer, and with it, so did Arabella. She remembered to blink only when her eyes dried out and began to burn. This was when she pulled her attention away from the skyward spires and toward the massive lake that seemed to encircle her new school. The morning mist had begun to burn off in the early August morning heat, but puffs of fog continued to roll across the surface. Once, she even spotted the tail of a fish breaching the water, far larger than any she had ever seen.

No one stood at the main door to welcome Arabella and her companion, much to the blonde's disappointment. After a few moments of looking at their surroundings, Osbeorn strode forward to push the great wooden doors open. Bella suspected his eagerness to get inside might have had something to do with the muttering weasel that was slowly making its way over to them from a grassy patch several yards away. She couldn't be sure, but it sounded like the creature was spewing profanities at them.

Once the pair was safely inside, they could see that finding someone to welcome them would be a challenge. The entrance hall split off into many different hallways and staircases, some of which Bella saw were moving! Osbeorn had taken it upon himself to search their surroundings though, and had made his way to another set of massive doors. They must have been very heavy, for he struggled to pry them open, but once he did, he and Bella could see another vast room, this time with long tables inside. 

"Oh, it's you." Bella glanced to the sound of the voice and spotted Helena sitting at one of the tables. This one had a blue banner with some type of bird hanging over it.

"Helena! Hello. Do you know if there is anyone here?" Helena turned away with a bored expression and closed the large book she had been writing in.

"Yes. I suppose I can take you to my mother; she's in her office."

"Of course. Thank you." Helena kept a brisk pace as she led the pair back the way they came and up several staircases. When the group had arrived at yet another door, Helena knocked once, and entered without waiting for a response.

"Helena, dear! I thought you were- Oh Arabella! You've arrived!" Professor Ravenclaw was sitting at her desk across the room, but quickly rose to greet the newcomers. 

"Hello Professor," Bella sputtered out as she was engulfed in a tight hug from the woman.

"If that is all, I will be going now." 

"Helena, there's no need to be so dour. Haven't you missed Miss Arabella?"

"Not particularly." The group stood for a moment in the now awkward silence.

"I'll go back the Great Hall now. I was studying." Without waiting for a rebuttal from her mother, the dark-haired eleven-year-old turned and disappeared down the hall.

"Classes haven't even started yet...No doubt she'll be sorted into our house." The professor muttered to no one in particular. "I see you have a companion. What is your name sir?"

"Osbeorn, ma'am."

"Hello, Osbeorn. I'm Professor Rowena Ravenclaw. Would you do me a great kindness and sit for a moment?" The man walked over to a nearby chair and did as he was asked, although he seemed very suspicious, especially after having witnessed the strangeness of the past day.

Rowena made her way over to her desk and picked up the wand that Bella had now seen several times before. 

"How long was your journey?" She asked, tapping the tip of her wand against her chin.

"About a week, ma'am."

"And would you say you saw anything strange on your travels?" Poor Osbeorn glanced at Arabella desperately, before responding.

"Well, I suppose...there were a few things..."

"Obliviate." Bella was taken quite by surprise at the Professor's sudden use of the spell. She wasn't sure what it was supposed to accomplish, but as she watched Osbeorn, she saw that his expression changed from one of near panic, to that of a thoroughly confused man, before he promptly lost consciousness.

"Very good. Moppy!" Before Bella had a chance to ask what a Moppy was, or if it was another spell, a small creature wearing a glorified rag appeared in the middle of the room. It almost looked human, except for its incredibly short stature, excessively wrinkled skin, and large floppy ears. 

"Yes, what can Moppy do for Mistress?" The creature gazed up at Mistress Ravenclaw with eyes three times larger than a normal human's.

"Could you please let the others know that the magbob witch is here? Then take this man to a nearby muggle village and make sure he's safe until he wakes?" Bella glanced back to Osbeorn, who was slumped in the chair and beginning to snore. "And please make sure his carriage is nearby."

"As Mistress wishes." The little creature practically hopped over to Osbeorn and grabbed his hand before snapping its fingers and disappearing again. 

"Magbob?" Bella questioned.

"Oh, don't worry about that dear. It's just a term that's been floating around to describe what you are."

"I don't understand."

"Your magic just...bobbed up! I didn't come up with it. I'm not quite sure who did, but it seems to be catching." 

"Oh." What could Arabella do about this strange word being used to define her? Not much.

"And what was that...thing?"

"What thing, dear?"

"The-uh....the little person that was just here."

"Oh! That was a House Elf, Arabella. You likely won't see many of them, but there are many here at the castle, should you need anything. Just call out their names. That was Moppy, as you've probably assumed. Now, let's get you to Godric's office. The other Founders are very eager to meet you. We haven't had a witch born to muggle parents before!"

It was another few minutes walking before the pair arrived at a statue of a gargoyle.

"Fortem." Bella understood the Latin word for 'brave' and watched as the gargoyle jumped aside and allowed the two women to enter the door it was apparently guarding. The older woman knocked and waited for the person inside to bid them enter.

"Greetings!" A large man, who somewhat resembled her father, with bright red hair stood in front of an ornate desk. He smiled broadly at the two witches who entered his office and welcomed them to take a seat. "I am Godric Gryffindor. The others should be here shortly."

"It's a pleasure to meet you Headmaster." Bella curtsied before taking her seat.

"Headmaster?" The man glanced from Bella to his fellow professor. "Rowena, have you been filling this poor girl's head with misinformation?" Professor Ravenclaw just smirked and sipped a cup of tea she had served herself.

"You know you're the best man for the position. The others agree. Why won't you just concede?"

"We've gone over this; I don't want to be Headmaster. We all founded this school and we all have equal stakes in it." Bella glanced back and forth between the magical people in the room and sipped a cup of tea that Rowena presented to her in between their bickering.

It didn't take long for a knock to sound at the door and a stout woman appeared after being invited inside. She was closely followed by a bald man with a pointed beard, who glared at her and kept his distance. 

"Is this the girl? She doesn't look strange at all!" The new witch announced to Professors Gryffindor and Ravenclaw, in a Welsh accent.

"Of course not Helga, she's a witch, not a grindylow." Rowena laughed from her seat next to Arabella.

"It's such a pleasure to meet you. My name is Helga Hufflepuff and this sour fellow," she gestured to the bald man in the corner, "is Salazar Slytherin. Welcome to Hogwarts."


End file.
